Schools close, and parents fret
PARENTS in Bulawayo are fretting over the possibility of children organising and attending Vuzu parties as schools close.
Vuzu parties have been topical to a point where some people now think they know every nitty gritty about these delinquent activities.
In a message circulating on social media, parents have been called on to take note of plans to have Vuzu parties across the suburbs in the city as schools close today (Thursday).
“Dearest Parents. Please note that it has come to our attention that learners from schools around Bulawayo are planning to have Vuzu parties tomorrow. Please do talk to your children and please check their satchels for civilian clothes as they leave home,” reads the warning.
Teen girls sleeping with a minimum of 10 boys in one night
Vuzu parties have gained notoriety over the years for the all the wrong reasons.
Youths of school going age have been known to drink, smoke, use drugs and engage in sexual escapades at these parties, which are normally held at secret venues, prompting the police and parents to seek their closure.
Imagine your 13-year-old daughter being crowned Bulawayo’s queen for sleeping with a minimum of 10 boys in a single night. How would it feel to have your 17-year-old son bragging about having a bunch of $5 notes as reward for being a sex master?
These shocking revelations of youths being crowned for sleeping with many partners were shared during a vuzu party engagement forum in the city previously.
Attending vuzu parties is a criminal offence, police say
Bulawayo acting police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube said attending vuzu parties is a criminal offence that will catch up with offenders in future.
“Even though they are not imprisoned, these youths already have a criminal record and that will affect them when they seek jobs at Government institutions or want scholarships to study abroad,” he said.
Speaking on the far-reaching implications of vuzu parties, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Judith Ncube said teenagers are holding parties at child-headed homes whose owners are in the diaspora.
She challenged parents in the diaspora to leave their children under responsible guardians saying their houses have become hot spots for vuzu parties.
“It’s disturbing to note that vuzu parties are being held in affluent suburbs usually whose owners are in the diaspora. These parents tend to forget that children are young and may be irresponsible sometimes,” she said.
Collective responsibility
Minister Ncube said children abuse money that their parents in the diaspora send as they divert it to purchase drugs and alcohol.
She said dealing with vuzu parties is a collective responsibility that needs all stakeholders to contribute. She challenged young people to be responsible and shun attending vuzu parties.
In May 2019, police arrested 131 rowdy youths in Bulawayo in an operation that saw law enforcement agents also confiscating alcohol and sex enhancing pills from teenagers headed to vuzu parties where they engage in risky unprotected group sex, drug and alcohol abuse.
